An Elephant Never Forgets
by Hoprocker
Summary: Dizzy the elephant was ready for a new life, a fresh start in a flourishing town. But after making the big move, a chain of mysterious events begins to unravel in his life. Odd rumors and disturbing urban legends come to light. At the center of it: a little, shiny-eyed girl who seems to know Dizzy, somehow. She appears innocent enough…but appearances aren't everything…
1. A New Adventure

**My Animal Crossing: New Leaf obsession has lead me to want to write a short fanfiction, though I doubt many people will read/review it. But it's a nice break from my other stories. And I think horror mixed with AC is a hilarious combination.  
**

**Hope you enjoy it. :)**

**Chapter 1**

It was another rainy day in Startown. For the past week, a wall of clouds seemed to separate their lively little town from the sun above. Rivulets of water flowed southward and emptied out into the ocean below. Each step in the grass produced a resounding _squash_ and left a person's shoes coated with mud. Luckily, there were plenty of paths weaving through the village, allowing everyone to keep their feet nice and dry as they hurried along under their stylish umbrellas.

But Dizzy liked to walk in the grass and feel the earth beneath his large feet. He wandered off the roads, blissfully wallowing in the mud, as an elephant is apt to do. As he walked back home, he could see his neighbor, Bessie, looking out her window. Her expression turned to one of horror upon spying his messy appearance. He just grinned and continued on his way.

A withering garden of flowers surrounded his house and greeted him when he got home. The ones that had not yet washed away were drooping with rainwater. They had been there for so long; it was a sorry sight to see. Dizzy stopped and looked at them for a while. For once, food wasn't on his brain. A new idea had popped into his head.

It would be nice to get away for a little while. Even though splashing in rain puddles was fun, he missed the sun. So, without a second thought, he hopped on the first train he saw and rode it out of Startown.

The gray elephant stared out the window for a long time, spacing out as the morning passed by. Eventually, the sky began to clear up. The rain stopped, though gray clouds still hung overhead.

Dizzy's stomach growled and he turned to the blue-and-white cat sitting across the aisle from him. "Uhh…d'you know when they serve lunch on this thing, woo-oo?"

Rover let out a purr of laughter. "Where do you think you are, a five-star cruise ship?"

"…I'll take that as a no." Dizzy said glumly.

Suddenly, the train began to slow.

"Eek, eek! Next stop, Taytown!" Porter, the conductor, called over a loudspeaker.

Dizzy hopped to his feet and made his way towards the exit. Yeah, he had no idea where he was, but…but _food_. So he got off the train in this mysterious town, stepped outside the station, and looked all around him. The first thing he noticed was the luscious fruit hanging from a nearby tree. Mangos. The sole smell of them caused his trunk to quiver with anticipation.

He had never eaten a mango before. Startown's signature fruit was peaches, though it bore a few others…but never mangos. So he shook the tree, caught one of the delectable fruits, and shoved it into his mouth. Sweet juices flooded his taste buds and he relished the feeling.

"Mmm…" He was about to go for another one, when someone called out to him.

"Hiya, stranger!" A pink squirrel with big eyes and a friendly smile came walking up to him. The air around her seemed to spark with energy. "I'm Peanut. What's your name?"

Dizzy straightened up and returned her smile. "Dizzy! Woo-oo. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, slacker!" Peanut said with a giggle.

"Slacker?" Dizzy's frowned, feeling defensive. "Hey, that's not very nice…"

"Oh, c'mon! It's my catchphrase!" Peanut chirped, "Like how you say woo or whatever! Anyways, are you moving in? New neighbors are so much fun!"

"No. I just came for a visit." Dizzy said simply, keeping a trained eye on his mangos. Just listening to Peanut was wearing him out. He wanted to eat and take a nap.

Peanut gave a small hop and began wriggling with excitement. "So you came to occupy the campsite? Awesome! I've always wanted to go camping!"

"Campsite?" Dizzy asked curiously.

"Yeah, Taytown has a campsite on the southwest end of town, free of charge!"

Dizzy grinned. He had always been fond of camping. He could practically smell the chowder that came paired with it. So he agreed to let Peanut lead him to the campsite. Once there, she helped him set up a tent, filling the void with an endless stream of chattering. By the time they were finished, Dizzy had the joy of knowing everything from the fact that she had five sisters to her dream of becoming a movie star.

Finally, she left him to it. Dizzy entered the tent and sat there, enjoying the cool atmosphere. There were some tools for cooking. Maybe he could gather up ingredients later or go shopping. Besides, no campout was complete without s'mores!

But first: a nap.

* * *

"DIZZYYY!"

A high-pitched shriek. A heavy weight slamming into his body.

The next thing Dizzy knew, he was on his back and some crazy little girl was glomping him, repeating his name over and over without taking a breath. The poor elephant gasped and began panicking, flailing his stumpy arms and legs. "Woo-oooooo!" He wailed helplessly.

Panting excitedly, the crazed newcomer hopped off of Dizzy and just stood there, staring at him. Dizzy scrambled into a sitting position and looked back at her, trying to calm his beating heart.

The girl had a wide grin and bubblegum-pink hair. Mmm…bubblegum. Dizzy shook off his hunger pangs and observed what she was wearing. It was perhaps the strangest outfit he had ever seen. A sloppily designed shirt and hat bore the initials "ST," along with a cape that fell all the way to the girl's ankles. And she was in her underwear. Clearly, she was supposed to be some kind of superhero and failing miserably.

Dizzy covered his face, blushing. "W-W-Wha…! Um, umm, hi?"

The girl's grin stretched a little wider until it looked as if it would burst from her face. Her dark eyes shone with elation. They had to be the shiniest eyes Dizzy had ever seen.

"I missed you!" She said playfully, looking as if she wanted to tackle-hug him again.

"…I'm sorry, do I know you?" Dizzy said, tipping his head in puzzlement.

The smile instantly vanished from the girl's features. She blinked slowly. Dizzy felt extremely confused and waited for some sort of response. He was quite positive he had never seen this girl in his life.

Suddenly, the smile was back on her face. She struck a dramatic pose and trumpeted, "My name's Super TayTay! To the rescue! I'm the mayor of Taytown."

"_Mayor_?" Dizzy repeated in disbelief. What sort of leader-depraved town would assign this hyper little thing as mayor?

"Are you hungry?" TayTay asked, lowering her arms.

_I take it all back. She's an amazing mayor that obviously keeps all of the animals' best interests at heart. _"Yes!" Dizzy burst out, wincing as his stomach growled.

"Fear not! Super TayTay will save you from starvation! C'mon Asprin, let's go!" 'Super' TayTay shot out of the tent like a rocket and went running barefoot into the woods.

Dizzy settled down, grateful that someone was bringing him food. He barely had to wait a minute before TayTay stumbled into the tent with all sorts of goodies.

"Thanks, Mayor!" Dizzy said happily, digging in immediately.

"TayTay." She said firmly.

Dizzy smiled. "Okay, TayTay." As he bit into apple after apple, the friendly elephant decided to make conversation with the shiny-eyed youth. "So who's Aspirin?"

"Asprin." TayTay corrected, her eyes glossing over. Her brow crinkled slightly. She was staring very hard at Dizzy, as if trying to convey some sort of silent message. What the message was supposed to be, he had no idea.

He offered an apple. "Um…want one?"

TayTay just shook her head, still goggling at Dizzy. He felt uncomfortable. So he quickly changed the subject, asking her all about Taytown. He made sure to praise it heartily, knowing that the mayor would love to hear such a thing.

"If you like it so much, then you should move here!" TayTay grinned.

Dizzy paused. "I don't know. Taytown seems so active…my town is so much sleepier. It suits me."

TayTay suddenly blinked furiously, as if fighting off a wave of emotion. "Please move here! Please, please, please!" She begged, coming forward to pop both of their personal space bubbles. "We just had a resident move out and there are plenty of spots to build your house on—and we have all sorts of fruits and new public works projects being started all the time…!"

"Okay, okay!" Dizzy interrupted, before she could get too worked up, "I promise I'll think about it."

TayTay settled back, looking content. The feverish desperation had vanished from her face and the wide grin was back in place.

"Well, I'd better get going…" Dizzy rose up, towering a good foot over TayTay. He started on his way out. Before he was out of the tent, there was a small tug on his shirt. He looked back to see TayTay clinging to it.

Her eyes were downcast. "I'll miss you." She said quietly.

"Aw, thanks!" Dizzy chuckled, smiling, "I'll miss you too. It was nice meeting you!"

"Yeah…" TayTay said in a faint voice, slowly letting go of his shirt. She lifted her eyes and fixed him in an intense stare. It was much like earlier, when she had been willing him to share his apples or something. Those shiny windows seemed to stare straight through to his soul. Dizzy fought off a shudder and left without another word.

On the way home, his mind kept drifting back to Taytown. It was a nice place, wasn't it? Considering Startown was flooded at the moment, it looked all the more cheery.

It was late when Dizzy walked through the door. He swept his gaze over his room. It had been organized in the exact same way for as long as he could remember: train set, elephant slide, toilet in the corner, the same three gyroids pumping their beats in an endless rhythm…

_Maybe…it really is time for a change. _Dizzy thought slowly. He remembered seeing a movie a long time ago about a guy who traveled the world and had all sorts of adventures. He wanted to have adventures too or at least _one _adventure.

His heart lit up with excitement. He didn't have a great deal of furniture. Packing would be easy. And despite living in this town for so many years, he wasn't especially close with too many of the residents. He could be moved in to Taytown within the short span of two days. He could start his newest adventure.

"All right!" Dizzy decided, pumping his two giant fists, "I'm gonna do it! Woo-oo! Watch out Taytown, Dizzy the elephant is coming to stay! Ahuh huh huh!"

* * *

Just as planned, Dizzy was in Taytown in two days' time. The goodbyes shared in Startown were fun, yet bittersweet. Dizzy was certain he was ready to end this chapter in his life. So he boarded the train with his bags and didn't look back. Upon his arrival, he was led straight to his new home. Tom Nook had built him a house right near TayTay's—she owned a majestic castle made of candy. Yum! It would be easy to sneak over and grab a bite whenever he was hungry. Hopefully she wouldn't mind!

Speaking of TayTay, she popped in to visit him while he was still unpacking. But she seemed to be busy with her own chores and left him to it. Humming cheerfully, Dizzy laid down his grass carpet and put up his wood paneling. _Maybe I'll go shopping for a stereo later! _He thought. Main Street was full of new places to explore and he had plenty of money to spend.

But first, he had to finish unpacking. Residents came and went, welcoming him to the neighborhood. When he was just about done, a white squirrel came wandering in. He walked with a certain amount of swag and emanated a cool vibe. Dizzy was in awe.

"Hey, nice to meetcha, sulky. The name's Marshal." The squirrel said with a relaxed shrug, "You must be Dizzy."

"Yup! How'd you know?" Dizzy wondered innocently.

"Your name's all over town!" Marshal said with a mischievous grin, "Everyone's gossiping about you. I'm jealous. I wish _I _could be such a hot topic. Especially among the ladies!"

Dizzy laughed. It was exciting to hear people were talking about him. Gossip spread faster than syrup on pancakes...that was why it was so delicious. All the more reason to...wait, what? He had lost track of his analogy. He stopped laughing.

For some reason, Marshal's expression grew serious.

"Really, though. We're happy to have you. We've been waiting for you…for a long, long time."

Dizzy tipped his head curiously. "Huh? What do you mean?"

But Marshal was already headed out the door, calling back, "Well, see ya later! Let's hang out sometime, kay, sulky?"

Dizzy could only stand there, wondering what he had meant. _"We've been waiting for you," _he had said. What did that mean? A chill ran up the elephant's spine.

A bad feeling was beginning to grow in his gut. At the time, he tried to shake it off and finish organizing his room. If only he hadn't done that…if he only he had left while he still had the chance…

He would regret it the rest of his life.


	2. Night on the Town

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Have another chapter. On a side note, I just blew a million bells on a princess crown. I've got my priorities straight!**

**Chapter 2**

The next day, Dizzy received a letter in the mail. He took it inside and eyed it nervously for a long while. He half-expected some horrifying monster to pop out and eat him. Or perhaps it contained a scary message that read something along the lines of, "You're never leaving this town alive!"

But it turned out to be an innocent invitation from Peanut. She wanted to know if Dizzy would accompany her, Marshal, and the mayor for a night out on town. Dizzy breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he had taken Marshal's words out of context. Yes, he was just being paranoid…the villagers of this town were incredibly nice. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Dizzy put on his usual yellow shirt with a number five emblazoned on it and headed outside. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone down on him, basking him in its warm glow. He stopped to appreciate it, drinking in its rays. It had been a while.

Afterwards, he went right over to Peanut's house and RSVP'd. She was overjoyed. But Dizzy made a quick escape before she could go on another tirade and sap his energy. He spent the rest of the day lazily fishing by the river. Once in a while, he spotted TayTay sprinting through the trees in the distance, wearing the same superhero getup she had worn yesterday. Sometimes he heard her shouting to "Asprin," again, but he had met all of the villagers and not one of them bore that name. He wondered if Asprin was her imaginary friend, but it was such a childish thing for a mayor to possess.

When the sun started to set, Dizzy went home to wash up. Right when he was ready to head out, there was a knock at his door. He opened it to find Marshal and Peanut standing there. The two squirrels looked almost picturesque in the twilight, with their dark eyes and bushy tails.

"Dizzy," Marshal greeted airily, "If I may be so bold, you're looking cool as a fair number of cucumbers."

Dizzy's mouth watered. _Mmm…cucumbers are delicious._

"Nice house!" Peanut piped up, standing on her tiptoes to peer inside, "Super cozy! We should have picked up TayTay first, I bet she would _love _to see what your room looks like!"

"I'll invite her another time, I guess." Dizzy said, stepping out and closing the door behind him. The three animals embarked on the short walk to TayTay's manor. Dizzy took a deep breath, drinking in the cool night air. It was a beautiful evening and there was not a cloud in the sky. He looked to Peanut. "So what did you have planned?"

Peanut was practically bursting with excitement. "First stop: the café! After we drink some coffee, it's time to go shopping and we'll dance the night away at Club LOL! It's gonna be so, so super, slacker!"

Dizzy felt weary just thinking about it. Before he could comment on the matter, they had arrived at TayTay's house. Marshal rapped on the door while Dizzy eyed the candy exterior hungrily.

"Think she'll mind if I lick some icing off the door?" He wondered.

Marshal chuckled, "I wouldn't risk it."

Suddenly, the door popped open. For once, TayTay didn't don her terrible superhero getup. She was looking quite cute in a petite pink dress that matched her hair, which was pulled back in a pigtail with a red ribbon. An expensive-looking crown rested on her head, screaming volumes about her wealth. She flashed a toothy grin at her guests. "Ready to go?"

"Yeaaah!" Peanut cheered.

TayTay bolted out of her house. Side by side, she and Peanut ran into the night. "Hey, wait for us!" Dizzy cried out.

Marshal just shrugged it off. "Eh, we'll catch up with them eventually. They're just a little hyper."

"A little?" Dizzy echoed doubtfully.

The two followed the path towards the café, making casual chitchat as they went. Dizzy felt a little awkward walking next to the tiny white squirrel. He towered over him, but that didn't seem to faze Marshal at all. He asked Dizzy's opinion on Peanut, but before he could give it, the squirrel interrupted, "Better not get any wise ideas, sulky! I've had my eye on her a while. Course, I've had my eye on half the girls in town, but there are a few I'd be willing to part with if you ask nicely."

It took Dizzy a minute to realize what his friend was talking about. His cheeks burned and he laughed, "Ahuh huh! It's okay. The only relationship I need in my life is my relationship with lemon pie. And every other dessert out there!"

"Oh c'mon Dizzy, that's no way to live!" Marshal chided. After a pause, the smug villager added, "You and TayTay would make a cute couple, dontcha think?"

"Uh…I don't think she's my type…" Dizzy said awkwardly.

Marshal snorted. "Fine. I guess your idea of the perfect woman is a girl coated in chocolate and caramel."

"And butterscotch, woo-oo." Dizzy offered, licking his lips.

Finally, they arrived at the café, on the northern end of town. It was surprisingly crowded that evening. Monique the cat and Agnes the pig were drinking tea at the far end of the room. When their group walked in, the two villagers ceased their conversation and cast them judgmental glances. Dizzy nervously tried to avoid their gazes and walked to the counter.

TayTay and Peanut were already seated there, ordering two mochas from Brewster. A fierce-looking white tiger was sitting a few chairs down, sipping his mug. He turned his face towards Dizzy and the elephant flinched slightly. The tiger's eyes were heavily bloodshot. He was intimidating to the max. With a grunt, the old cat finished his coffee, paid Brewster, and left. Only then could Dizzy relax.

"Bye Rolf!" TayTay called as the tiger exited the coffee shop.

Peanut shivered. "Ugh. He is soo creepy, TayTay! I don't know why you associate with him."

TayTay just smiled, watching where Rolf had disappeared. After a moment, she swiveled in her seat to face Dizzy. "Aren't you going to order?"

Dizzy realized with a jolt that he had been staring at her. "Uh, yeah!" He looked at Brewster and ordered a blue mountain coffee with plenty of cream and sugar. Marshal ordered a Kilimanjaro with a dab of pigeon's milk.

It tasted like caffeinated heaven. "Wow…" Dizzy breathed, smelling the sweet scent of coffee beans through his trunk. "I've never tasted coffee like this! Startown doesn't even have a café."

"Just another perk of being in Taytown." Marshal smirked.

An audible gag reached Dizzy's large ears. He turned his head in the direction of the two girls at the corner of the café. Monique was rolling her eyes. Dizzy only felt confusion. But before he could ponder this any further, Peanut was demanding they chug their coffees so they could get to shopping.

Brewster agreed with her. "Yes…drink up while it's hot…" He cooed in a soft voice.

"Fine, fine." Marshal sighed, forcing the scalding coffee down his throat.

Dizzy did the same. Before he knew it, TayTay had caught his hand and was whisking him away towards Main Street. Peanut bounded ahead, squealing about all of the stuff she was going to buy.

"And I'm going to wind up carrying all of your bags again." Marshal sighed. But Dizzy could still see the amused smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

The four hit up Timmy and Tommy's store first. The furniture was rather expensive, but Dizzy decided to treat himself to a few new pieces for his house. He bought a spiffy dice stereo and a new bed with colorful sheets (his old bed had just about caved in). The Nook Brothers promised to have this shipped to his house by tomorrow.

He had a little extra money to spend on clothes. While TayTay and Peanut went to buy pink shoes at Kick's, Dizzy hung out at the Able Sisters' with Marshal.

"Get the denim jacket," His stylish friend urged, pointing to his own jacket, "It's all the rage."

"You really think it looks good on me?" Dizzy said, slipping the jacket on. He observed it from all angles in the mirror. The color did kind of look nice with his skin.

"It's _great_." Marshal confirmed with a nod. "You should get it, sulky."

"I think I will!" Dizzy said, beaming. He allowed Sable to ring him up. As she did so, he shot a sneaky glance at Marshal, "Did you know I'm actually a superhero? My alter ego: Fashion Lad!"

Marshal rolled his eyes. "Oh please! You're beginning to sound like TayTay. Besides, we all know _I'm _the most fashionable animal in Taytown." He struck a pose.

"Would you like to wear this out?" Sable asked in a friendly voice.

"Yes please!" Dizzy changed, putting on the denim jacket and sticking the number 5 shirt into a bag. Right as he did so, TayTay and Peanut came walking into the shop. TayTay froze in her tracks, looking questionably at Dizzy's new get-up.

"…What is that?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Fashion Lad's newest look!" Marshal joked.

Dizzy laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "You like it?"

"No." TayTay said quite bluntly, "Put your other shirt back on."

"Ooh, shot down!" Peanut chirped, looking highly entertained at all of this.

But TayTay's eyes were dead serious, as if the light had gone out of them. She stared hard at Dizzy, waiting for him to follow her instructions.

He immediately felt defensive. "Sorry, I already bought it…uh…you can have my old shirt if you want! It might be a little big though..." He held the bundle out to her.

TayTay's expression changed in an instant. The light was back and she was smiling again. "Thanks, Dizzy!" She said, happily accepting his gift.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief. _What just happened? _But Peanut was already rushing them out the door. It was time to dance the night away at Club LOL.

Peanut was the life of the party. She took to the dance floor as if she had been born on it and began busting out all sorts of moves. TayTay was jumping up and down like a maniac, waving her arms. Marshal was much calmer, keeping to himself and shaking his bushy tail all around. Dizzy felt incredibly awkward.

Nearby, a gold dog was doing a cute little one-step routine. He tried to mimic her. But then TayTay grabbed his hands and shouted, "Dance, Dizzy, dance!" The next thing he knew, he was bouncing up and down with her, shaking the floor. But he was laughing so hard he barely noticed.

It was a fun night. They danced for a long time, until their feet could barely support them. When K.K. Slider went on break, they left. Dizzy could have fallen asleep right there, in the road. It was dark and cold outside. The other animals in town were most likely sleeping.

Peanut, somehow, still harbored energy. She was like a battery that never lost its juice. She insisted they make one more stop, deciding on the museum. Blathers, the owl that ran the museum, was probably the only villager awake at this time of night. Not even Taytown's mayor could hold out much longer—she was literally falling asleep on her feet.

Yawning, Dizzy allowed Peanut to drag him there. Blathers gave them a warm welcome. Peanut and TayTay went running off to the aquarium while Marshal and Dizzy were left behind once more.

Marshal blinked repeatedly, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. "Wanna head upstairs? Blathers has a pretty cute little sister."

"Sure." Dizzy said, stifling another yawn.

"I heard that!" Blathers called after them, "Please do refrain from hitting on my dear sister, eh wot? I am inclined to remind you that less civilized owls eat little squirrels. In fact, Great Horned owls such as myself will sometimes devour smaller owls! The savage world we live in is truly fascinating!"

They left Blathers blathering to himself. Dizzy had winced at the veiled threat, but Marshal swaggered on up the steps without a care in the world. But Blathers must have made some sort of impression, because he walked right on by his sister and entered an exhibition room. Dizzy followed. As soon as he was inside, he froze in his tracks.

"This is a good place to take a nap." Marshal said, gazing at the exhibit approvingly, "See, there's a bed in the corner and everything…something wrong?"

Dizzy was visibly shaking. His eyes were incredibly wide and beads of sweat were rolling down his gray skin. "This…this is my house." He whispered, his quivering trunk causing his voice to shake.

Marshal laughed, "I think someone's a little tired. We're still at the museum, Dizzy."

"No, no!" Dizzy gave a choked cry, "This exhibit looks exactly like my house! The carpet, the walls, even the furniture…it's all arranged in the exact same way!" The frantic elephant paced around the room, willing it to be different somehow. The only difference was a toilet missing in the corner. But the resemblance was uncanny. This was his home, and there was no mistaking it. Someone had been in his house and recreated it here.

An idea struck Dizzy. "Who created this exhibit?" He demanded, making a beeline for the exit.

Marshal shrugged. "I don't know. One of the villagers…?"

Dizzy rushed outside, skidding to a halt by the poster. There, he discovered the name of the person who created this exhibit.

_TayTay._


	3. Dark Premonitions

**If you're planning on shipping Marshal and Peanut, I have a ship name for you: Fluffernutter! See, Marshal = Marshmallow and Peanut = Peanut Butter. Put those together and you have a Fluffternutter, is that not the cutest ship name ever?**

"How is this possible? She's never been in my house." Dizzy said, stunned, weaving among the furniture he supposedly owned.

"Lucky guess, I suppose?" Marshal was so calm; it only served to make Dizzy more hysterical. But before he could discuss the matter further, he felt a presence behind him. He turned to see TayTay standing there. She smiled expectantly, as if waiting for him to comment on the matter. But he couldn't find any words. He just stared at her wordlessly, eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. Luckily, he didn't have to say anything. Peanut came along in the form of a distraction.

"Let's go home! I'm bushed!" She said, skipping in circles around the others.

Dizzy didn't remember much after that. He was practically a zombie, shuffling back to his house on the southern side of town. He didn't take part in the others' conversation. He just kept seeing the museum exhibit, which resembled his home in such a frightening way. When he stepped through the door of his house, he didn't feel better in the slightest. The door began to close behind him.

Before it could shut the whole way, something stopped it. TayTay peered through the crack in the door. "Good night, Dizzy." She whispered.

Then the door slammed and she was gone. Shaking, Dizzy climbed into bed. Marshal probably thought he was some kind of nut…drenched in peanut sauce for added flavor. But TayTay had somehow known what his room looked like without ever seeing it for herself. The one time she had come by to visit, boxes had been spread everywhere. He hadn't even put up the wallpaper yet.

_I need sleep, _Dizzy thought, snuggling under the warm covers of his bed. _This has to be a coincidence. That's all it is. A coincidence. Everything will be a lot less scary in the morning…_

He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. It calmed him slightly. His door was locked. He was safe. He could sleep in tomorrow and dream about ice cream sundaes for hours.

With these peaceful thoughts in mind, he allowed sleep to take hold of him.

* * *

That morning, Dizzy got a late start. The sun was already high in the sky when he stepped out of his house. Someone had planted a few flowers along his fence as if to welcome him to town and he smiled. They were a pleasant shade of yellow, much like a ripe banana or lemon. Speaking of which, that sounded like a good option for breakfast.

But before setting out to find some fresh fruit, Dizzy noticed his mailbox's flag was up. He opened the letterbox and peered inside. His eyes met with a cute little present wrapped in white paper, completed with a red ribbon.

_A housewarming gift! _He thought ecstatically. He reached inside to remove the present, but his rather large hand got stuck inside. He wrestled with the mailbox, trying to break free. "Woo-oo!" He cried out desperately. He needed to know what was in that present. The anticipation was killing him!

Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind and wrenched him backwards. Dizzy crashed to the ground, landing on his bottom. The villager that had helped him leapt back with a huff. Dizzy looked to see Officer Copper standing there, dusting himself off.

"Uhh…thank you." Dizzy said, pulling on his tail to make sure it wasn't broken.

The brown policedog saluted him. "Just doing my duty, son! Be more careful in the future, all right?" He reached in, removed the present, and handed it to Dizzy.

"Okay!" Dizzy gasped, afraid Copper would arrest him if he didn't agree. But he went on his way without any further arguments.

Dizzy smiled and began opening the present, unraveling the red ribbon and peeling back the white paper gently to reveal the box inside. Eagerly, Dizzy took off the top and peered down at his gift.

He couldn't have been more disappointed. _A yellow number 5 shirt…? _He thought, lifting it up and examining it. _Well, I guess it's not so bad. I gave my only one to TayTay yesterday._

It was then he spied a little blue envelope attached to the ribbon. He opened it and removed a letter. The writing was sloppy, as if a child had scrawled it. After a fair amount of effort, he was able to read what it said…

_Dizzy Da Darling Doofus!_

_Recognize this? This is the shirt you gave me yesterday. _

_Wear it and don't take it off again!_

_Or else._

_UR BFF TAYTAY LOL  
_

The stunned elephant just stared at the paper, allowing the message to sink in. This was a letter from TayTay. Best friend? She wasn't his best friend. She was threatening him…no, wait—maybe it was just a joke. Yes, it had to be a joke.

"Ohh, my stomach…" Dizzy whimpered. It had really started hurting all of the sudden. He couldn't tell if it was just nerves or he was really hungry. _Better play it safe and eat something._

Dizzy set out to pick fruit, crumpling the letter and letting it drop to the ground. He didn't bother putting the shirt on. He had spent good money on this denim jacket. And he was Fashion Lad, he had to keep up with the trends after all!

Since he still didn't know his way around town, Dizzy soon found himself lost. He wound up at the town square. Strangely, a number of animals had gathered there. They were talking in loud voices. At the heart of them stood Monique the cat, who kept gesturing wildly. Her blonde hair was disheveled and her makeup smeared.

"What's up everyone, woo-oo?" Dizzy asked, approaching with a friendly smile on his face.

Monique stuck her nose in the air and huffed, "I'll tell you what's up! My house was robbed last night!"

There was an audible gasp from the small crowd that had formed. Dizzy shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Oh, no. He had no idea that Taytown had crime issues. Maybe moving here was a bad idea after all.

"Oh, dear," A sweet-looking dog named Goldie couldn't have looked more sympathetic, "I'm so sorry, Monique. Did they steal anything, woof?"

"Of course they stole something!" Monique spat, crossing arms her with a glare, "That's the point of being robbed! Pfft!"

Goldie uttered a soft apology and looked away, blushing.

"What did they steal?" Marshal asked, his ears perked up with excitement. It was clear to see he was enjoying the show.

Monique gave a soft cry and hid her face. "Oh, it's so embarrassing!"

Agnes the pig reached forward to pat her friend's shoulder with a hoof. "Just tell them, Moni. You gathered them here, after all, snuffle."

"Fine!" Monique sighed dramatically, "They stole a _toilet_. Can you believe it? Completely bypassed my money and jewelry and yanked my toilet right from its pipes! The nerve!"

_A toilet. _Dizzy could feel dread pooling in his empty stomach. A toilet was missing from the museum exhibit. With the toilet, the replica of his house would be complete. He had a strange feeling he knew where Monique's stolen furniture had gotten…

"Wow! Who could have done such a thing?" Peanut said, looking around nervously, "You don't think it was the axe murderer, do you?"

"Axe murderer?!" Dizzy yelped before he could stop himself.

Everyone looked at Dizzy in surprise. "Oh, I forgot you're new here." Marshal said, "Relax, it's just an urban legend of Taytown. There aren't any axe murderers here…just toilet burglars." He laughed.

Monique ran a paw through her hair, fluffing it. A large smirk pulled her lips back to reveal her teeth. "Oh, trust me. It's true. I've seen the axe murderer! You ought to drop by my house sometime, Dizzy. I'll catch you up to date on all of the gossip in Taytown."

"Oh! Um…thank you for the offer—" Dizzy stuttered.

"Come by this afternoon!" Monique said with a sweet smile, "I'll make tea and everything."

Of course, Dizzy couldn't say no to that. So they picked a time to meet up. The conversation lost its momentum after that and the animals began to drift their separate ways. Before Dizzy walked off, he spotted Rolf leaning against the large tree at the center of town square. He had been eavesdropping on the conversation.

Before he could call out to him, the white tiger got up and walked off. Dizzy shivered. That tiger had to be the scariest of all the villagers. He never talked to anyone. Where did he live, anyways? He was shrouded in mystery.

Dizzy shook off his doubts about Rolf and went straight to the museum after filling his belly. He feared finding the missing toilet in the exhibition area. He was almost too afraid to go on, but he gathered up his courage and entered.

Everything was exactly as they had left it. There was no toilet in the corner. Dizzy rattled a sigh of relief.

_This is just silly! I should be outside enjoying the weather, _He scolded himself.

So that's just what he did. He made sure to steer clear of TayTay and her delectable house with the candy exterior. He headed all the way to a thin strip of land in the northwestern corner of town. This place was out of the way. Dizzy leaned against the cliff and relaxed, drinking in the fresh air. He stayed like that for a long while. The sun made his ears hot and he flapped them up and down to cool them off.

Suddenly, a shadow passed over him. His eyes flew open to see TayTay's face inches away from his own.

He let out a yelp of surprise.

"...You're not wearing my shirt." TayTay mumbled, way too close for comfort. Her dark eyes narrowed.

"Uh, y-yeah," Dizzy stammered, unable to compose himself, "Thanks for the gift—err, regift. I mean-!"

TayTay straightened up and laughed, "Have fun at Monique's!" Then she turned and raced off with her arms held out like an airplane. Her cape whipped out behind her, flashing the "ST" emblem. Then she was gone.

Dizzy took a shuddering breath. _How'd she know about Monique's? Was she watching me? _She hadn't been standing in the square. An image of her pressed against a tree, listening with a deadpan look on her face popped to mind. He quickly pushed it away. _Maybe she was…no. No more making excuses for this girl! I need answers NOW!_

He pushed himself to his feet and stomped off towards Monique's home, using a map to guide himself there. It was a quaint place with a chimney that puffed out little white clouds. Monique let Dizzy in and he found the lovely furniture rather suited her. In the corner was a plush Mama Bear and sophisticated clothing lined the walls. Agnes sat on a cream-colored sofa, sipping tea. She gave Dizzy a nod and invited him to sit next to her.

Monique, meanwhile, sat nearby in a pink armchair. "I do hope you enjoy the tea," She said with a gleam in her eye, "However, if you have to use the bathroom, I'd suggest going somewhere else."

Dizzy forced a polite laugh and then took a sip of his tea. It was definitely not sweet enough for his tastes. He lowered the cup and tipped his chin towards Monique. "So what did you want to tell me about?"

"Mm, well that depends." Monique said, making herself comfortable, "What do you want to hear about?"

"Uh, the axe murderer I guess. Is he really real?"

"_She._" Agnes corrected with a snort.

Dizzy looked confused. "…Huh?"

"We're almost positive the axe murderer is TayTay." Monique declared with a lash of her tail. Her ears twitched in annoyance. "You see a few villagers have spied someone walking about at night wearing a ski mask and holding an axe. The trains don't run this late. This mysterious stranger either walked all the way here or they came from Taytown themselves. Most likely the latter, considering they've been spotted on a number of occasions."

Dizzy shivered. "But…how can you be so sure it's TayTay? And has this person actually _murdered _anyone?" _You think someone would have told me before I moved in!_

"Well, no." Agnes admitted, "But animals are always moving in and out of town. They'll disappear without a trace, leaving behind a letter in everyone's mailbox that says they moved. It's kind of strange, don't you think? Why wouldn't they just _tell _everyone they're moving?"

"It's not that strange." Monique hissed, "_I _think it's Mayor TayTay, trying to be selective with the townsfolk. She probably has piles of their dead bodies hidden in her basement. She seems the type."

"Don't say that!" Dizzy gasped. "That's a terrible thing to suggest!" For once in his life, Dizzy didn't feel hungry. Monique had crushed his appetite into a ball and flushed it down her nonexistent toilet.

Monique ignored Dizzy's outburst. She slumped in her seat and brought a paw to her forehead. "You know, I'm inclined to believe that I'm next," She sighed dramatically, "Someone's been dumping trash on my lawn as well as burying pitfalls to boot. It's only a matter of time…"

Agnes got up and clutched at her friend reassuringly, "No, don't say that! You're going to be fine." She looked to Dizzy. "It's not as if we have solid proof that the animals are dying anyways."

"Wait!" Monique said, sitting up and smirking at Dizzy. "I have one more juicy tidbit for you. Are you ready for this?"

Dizzy could feel his heart thundering in his chest. His brow furrowed. "Uh…uh-huh…" He stuttered.

"Mayor TayTay…" Monique began in a hushed voice. She paused and looked around, as if someone might hear. Then she leaned a little closer and hissed, "Mayor TayTay was never meant to be the mayor of this town!"

"What!" Dizzy exclaimed.

Agnes rolled her eyes. "Oh, not this again. Then why is it called Taytown?"

"Because she renamed it. Duh." Monique shot back, "But I know this for a fact. I found a note written to her from the real mayor, who never showed up. Now I wonder what caused our real one to go missing…?" She tapped her chin.

"I don't want to hear anymore!" Dizzy cried out, rising to his feet, "Hearing this has left a really bad taste in my mouth. It's like someone mixed my toothpaste with orange juice and I _never _want to go through that again!"

Monique just laughed, "Suit yourself. I just thought our newest villager deserved a warning. You do know you have a target on your back, don't you?"

"T-Target?" Dizzy repeated, breaking out into a cold sweat.

"Oh, please, don't tell me you haven't noticed…TayTay picked you out specifically." Monique said, examining her manicured claws without a single care in the world.

"No she didn't!" Dizzy said, his voice rising to a note of desperation, "I picked this town to visit. _I _decided to come here!"

Monique raised her heavily lidded eyes to his. She smiled sweetly. "Well, you won't be leaving anytime soon. That's for sure."

Dizzy could find nothing to say to that. He stood there, trembling, looking from Agnes to Monique. But Agnes just stared at the floor while Monique continued to feign interest in her nails. Dizzy quickly muttered, "Thanks for the tea," then bustled out of the house before either of them could stop him.

It was later than he thought. The sun was gently easing itself behind a distant mountain. The trees cast long shadows in the twilight. In another hour, the streets would be dark.

Dizzy hurried home, feeling tears spring to his eyes. He couldn't deny it anymore. He had stumbled into a dangerous town with disturbed residents. He had to get out. He had to leave _now._

But he couldn't, not when it was nearly night. The axe murderer—could it really be TayTay?—might be lurking about. He didn't know what he would do in such an encounter. So he ran home, locked the door behind him, turned out the lights, and climbed into bed.

Hours passed. A storm began brewing outside. Thunder rumbled in the distance as dark clouds covered the moon. Dizzy had not put up any curtains. Each flash of lightning lit up his room in a ghostly manner. He hovered on the border between sleep and wakefulness. Nightmares danced on the edge of his consciousness.

He found himself standing in the forest, but it was different. The trees were withered, their jagged branches scraping the night sky like claws. Dead flowers coated the earth around him, bathed in a strange glow. Dizzy lifted his eyes to see a light burning in the distance. He began to walk towards it, despite all of his senses screaming at him to run.

His chest clenched with horror as he realized the light was a burning house. The little cottage was completely up in flames. A shadowy silhouette stood before it, outlined by the fire. The stranger turned around, catching him in the light of her gaze.

"Dizzy," TayTay murmured with a strange smile. She began to come towards him. It was then he noticed the bloody axe clutched in her dainty hands.

"NOOOO!" Dizzy shrieked, leaping out of the covers. His cry coincided with a loud crash of lightning. Disoriented, Dizzy whipped his head about, realizing that the burning house had only been a dream. But those shiny eyes had followed him back into reality.

Dizzy's eyes widened with horror as they locked with another's. A masked face was peering through his window at him. He could make out no features except for the two shiny eyes, twinkling like stars in the raging storm.

Lightning crashed again. Dizzy blinked, but the face had gone. Rain battered at the window. _Am I still dreaming? _He thought blearily. He climbed back into bed, continuing to cast paranoid glances towards the window.

But no faces returned to stare at him that night.

Whether it had been a dream or not, Dizzy finally came to a decision: first thing tomorrow, he was leaving Taytown.


End file.
